Issue 2, 2019

Scale-up of N-alkylation reaction using phase-transfer catalysis with integrated separation in flow

Abstract

A continuous phase-transfer catalysis process for N-alkylation integrated with separation was developed. This approach circumvents the heat and mass transfer limitations encountered in batch scale-up, enabling a safer process and yielding a higher-quality product. Two continuous flow approaches are analyzed: a) an automated fill–empty reactor with an integrated gravity separator and b) a tubular flow reactor with an inline membrane separator. The fill–empty platform enabled the direct technology transfer from batch, achieving conversions >99% (by HPLC) and purities >90%. The tubular flow reactor allowed the reduction of the base solution requirements, yielding conversions of 91% and purities >88%. Both the setups provide a small process footprint with downstream integrated separation. The on-demand scale-up was efficiently and safely demonstrated using the fill–empty approach for the production of various substrates at the multigram scale.

Graphical abstract: Scale-up of N-alkylation reaction using phase-transfer catalysis with integrated separation in flow

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Sep 2018
Accepted
15 Nov 2018
First published
15 Nov 2018

React. Chem. Eng., 2019,4, 334-345

Scale-up of N-alkylation reaction using phase-transfer catalysis with integrated separation in flow

M. J. Nieves-Remacha, M. Torres, M. Ruiz-Abad, J. A. Rincón, G. R. Cumming and P. Garcia-Losada, React. Chem. Eng., 2019, 4, 334 DOI: 10.1039/C8RE00203G

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